Editing Component Concepts (section)

=== Establishment ===

Component Concepts was established in 1979 to provide industrial product design and manufacturing services.

In 1986, founder Mike Casady began developing a pump-action paintball marker based on the Nelson operating system.

The resulting Phantom entered commercial production in 1987, following approximately six months of development.[1][2]

The original design used a fixed barrel and breech assembly, commonly described as a unibody, together with a modified Crosman air pistol trigger frame and a quick-change system for 12-gram CO₂ cartridges.

In 1988, CCI replaced the original trigger frame with an M16-style grip arrangement.

Further changes during 1989 and 1990 included a removable barrel system and adaptors for larger CO₂ and compressed-air tanks.[1]